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Afro Celt Sound System — Rise Above It
Album: Seed
Avg rating:
6.7

Your rating:
Total ratings: 2425









Released: 2003
Length: 10:07
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Crackin' walls inside my head
With a bottle full of rain
I promised to the coaster
I wouldn't tear it up again
Flick a peanut, break a glass
I wish I didn't sleep at Mass
And everything is closin' up
And yet again I come in last
I saw it in a dream
It was another time
And everything was blue
Everything was fine
And you were always there
And I could see clear
I was always yours
You were always mine
Rise above it, rise above it, rise above it
I see her on the ceiling
She's staring down in her gown
I had to make allowances
Between my love and goin' out
Now everything is closing up
The last call is well asleep
At gigs I danced with a Blue Nun
Now heartburn is goin' cheap
I saw it in a dream
It was another time
Everything was true
Everything sublime
And you were always there
And I could see clear
I was always yours
You were always mine
I saw it in a dream
It was another time
Everything was true
Everything sublime
And you were always there
And I could see clear
I was always yours
You were always mine
Rise above, rise above it
I wouldn't tear it up again
Comments (281)add comment
Nice tune , started off a little like U2
 heymull wrote:
magical feeling whenever I hear this group play



I  Agree!   Thanx RP!   
 itsme_bygolly wrote:

This is terrible. Not the music. Emmerson death.




May he rest in Peace!
Is the vocalist Sting?
Keeps sounding like it's about to switch into "I Will Possess Your Heart".
This is terrible. Not the music. Emmerson death.
RIP - Simon Emmerson (12 March 1956 – 13 March 2023)

Love B
magical feeling whenever I hear this group play
 Jelani wrote:

So awful.



You are in the minority here Jelani  lol soooo hit skip or take a hike! 
Manicotti...Manicotti...
Bono was too expensive? This one was cheaper, I guess.
 Jelani wrote:

So awful.




Then , hit the "skip button"!  ...eh?
So awful.
My favourite driving group... Current driving region is Hwy 33 & 3 in the Okanagan, Kootenay, and Boundary District of BC Canada! 
Excellent!!  Thanx RP!
 bdwhitepm wrote:

I love these guys!  They have lots of cool stuff



Agreed! Just go and see them live...........even better.
 Rockit999 wrote:


Yes    2 bad it is weak.


That is NOT BONO just know that! 
those are some impressive vocals from 3, 4, 5 people!
 mralimccarley wrote:

Is that Bono I hear?!?



Yes    2 bad it is weak.
Is that Bono I hear?!?
My ears tell me that this is one of the worst tunes ever.
Do bop bop Do bop bop
ACSS isn't my fav band by any stretch of the imagination, but this gets a 10 from me... I just get this feeling... desire... to Rise Above...
 the_jake wrote:

Sure sounds like the U2 front man to me.


It really does sound like Bono. Also, not a criticism. I like both bands. 
Probably my favorite ACSS tune... solid 10! I ran into a old co-worker at a Dead show at Willie Nelson's 4th of July Picnic.  We used to trade CD's and she gave me a burned copy of Seed. The 1st time listening to it was mind blowing. So original, rich with complimentary instruments. Sometimes at night, in the right frame of mind, I put on the headphones and YouTube ACSS videos...ahhh man...Blissful!
 Aaronosteo wrote:

Like U2 but not enough like U2 to be U2




Well, the singer sounds a bit like Bono sometimes. That's all. And thank God that's all.
 Aaronosteo wrote:
Like U2 but not enough like U2 to be U2
 
I would venture the guess that U2 is more like Afro Celt than vice versa…
When I hear this I can't help but feel like they're a New Age/World Music Spinal Tap. Please give me a moment to jump into my flame retardant suit..
yeah...these guys rock. 
Manicotti...Manicotti...
 ciarataylor wrote:

Very listenable and musical.



Sure - very listenable. Good for when you are driving or washing the dishes. But they will never play anything to break my heart, or change my life - so ultimately they are destined for the bargain bin. Musical popcorn to me,
Like U2 but not enough like U2 to be U2
Really PARADISE sOUND !!! ASTONISHING !!! ;--) 
 VV wrote:
Bono... that you?
 
Sure sounds like the U2 front man to me.
So very U2. Not a criticism.
 itaytay wrote:
it has become a bit of a torture to listen to RP these days
 
To each their own!  A young lady age me this cd at 2003 seeing the Dead. Ever grateful!  And to hear Seed Here and other songs is a blessing to me.  Watch a video of a show or song on social media... nothing like U2.  Thanks RP!
Bono... that you?
shoo bop-bop


shoo bop-bop

 njswede wrote:
I'm always torn when this comes on. Is it a pretty nice piece or contrived fusion desperately trying to be relevant? I can't make up my mind!
 The latter.

I'm always torn when this comes on. Is it a pretty nice piece or contrived fusion desperately trying to be relevant? I can't make up my mind!
 itaytay wrote:
it has become a bit of a torture to listen to RP these days

There is more than one way you could have adapted to your discomfort, and I wonder which you chose.
Best wishes to you, either way!



"flick a peanut, break a glass" He been watching too many Superman movies...
it has become a bit of a torture to listen to RP these days
Sounds a little bit too much like U2
"At gigs I danced with a Blue Nun"

do they still sell this sweet crap? Geez....
I love these guys!  They have lots of cool stuff
 Clyde_Bedow wrote:
This is the best U2 song I ever heard!!......

Wait. What?

If it was a bit shorter I would bump my rating at least 1/2 point. Which would place it 2 full points above any U2 song for me, and still be in the "meh, so-so" range.
 

I was just thinking if Daniel Lanois produced this, it might actually be a classic U2 song... that it was just missing the mark.
This is the best U2 song I ever heard!!......

Wait. What?

If it was a bit shorter I would bump my rating at least 1/2 point. Which would place it 2 full points above any U2 song for me, and still be in the "meh, so-so" range.
This really a good band. He does some like Bono, but it's ok. The song and the band are fun to listen.
Very nice Song! !
I don't like this song much.  And I can't seem to "play something different."  Bummer.{#Frustrated}
Really bad!  Bono also sounds like a bad day (and I'm a big U2 fan)....never need to hear this again
 
VH1 wrote:


Such a great bunch!

 
And super tall!
To my very pleasant surprise, when wandering through my local CD store, Fopps, I saw a new album from ACSS in the World Music section and snapped it up. Very good it is too, very eclectic, and a lot more afro than celt compared to previous albums, with a host of collaborating musicians. See the ACSS website.
Very listenable and musical.
 dragon1952 wrote:

Not overall , but I did hear a smidgen here and there because Bono ran through my mind for a second in spots.

 
{#Drunk} This has to be one's state of mind in order to listen to Bono.  
 Jelani wrote:
Some listeners said this vocalist sounds like Bono. I don't get it. they sound nothing alike to me, and I like neither of them.

 
Not overall , but I did hear a smidgen here and there because Bono ran through my mind for a second in spots.


Such a great bunch!
 Jelani wrote:
Some listeners said this vocalist sounds like Bono. I don't get it. they sound nothing alike to me, and I like neither of them.

 
I would have said more like Mike Scott from The Waterboys, but with a less pronounced accent.
 zerosomething wrote:
Are they singing "this is boring"?

 
No, it's 'Am I boring?'.  And then they ask you to rise above it. geeze.
 
Nice!
Some listeners said this vocalist sounds like Bono. I don't get it. they sound nothing alike to me, and I like neither of them.
Are they singing "this is boring"?
 drewd wrote:

Did you sleep through the 80's ?
P.S. It does sound like Bono.

 
someone said this was the worst song he ever heard.  LOVE the response!


{#Boohoo}{#Clap}{#Jump} I think they're great! 
 xtalman wrote:

Yep, I was thinking it sounded like Bono, if I had not heard the intro I might have thought it a U2 tune.  Of course when the fiddles hit that goes a very different direction then U2.

 
yeah, a terrible direction :)

apart from sounding bad, it sounds too constructed.
 Lonestar wrote:
Shit sandwhich

 
Go see them live, it will open your mind............well, it might.
I had to make allowances, he might have seen crackin' walls inside my head.
Good fun upbeat tune. 
 aspicer wrote:
{#No}{#No}

 
yep

love AfoAmerican music
but AfroCelts, not so much
Not so talented as it pretends to be. 5.
Let the dude rise above.
Because, only constant
       Is change.
 Lonestar wrote:
Shit sandwhich

 
Which shit sandwhich? 
Love the fiddle jam toward the end!
 easmann wrote:

Not Bono: Mundy (born Edmond Enright, 19 May 1975, BirrCounty Offaly), also from Ireland. See prior posts. He does sound a bit like Bono.

 
Yep, I was thinking it sounded like Bono, if I had not heard the intro I might have thought it a U2 tune.  Of course when the fiddles hit that goes a very different direction then U2.
{#No}{#No}
came in late.   What's that about Pannetone.  I like it a lot myself but not enough to sing about it.
A catchy tune to listen to on a Saturday morning {#Smile}
Bono and some cliched twiddly fiddling. Make it stop
ho-hum
 ckcotton wrote:
Waaaaayyyyyyy tooooooooo loooooooonggg
 

 
You may want to fix your ADHD {#Wink}
 nicknt wrote:
One of the worst songs I ever listened to in my life. 

 
Did you sleep through the 80's ?
P.S. It does sound like Bono.
 nicknt wrote:
One of the worst songs I ever listened to in my life. 

 
Really? One of the "worst"?  There are a lot of bad songs out there, but this is not one of them.
Shit sandwhich
One of the worst songs I ever listened to in my life. 
Waaaaayyyyyyy tooooooooo loooooooonggg
 
I feel like partying... but i think I will go to bed
thought it was Bono too! {#Eh}
it would be a cool song if not for so much resemblance with him!
and I actually like old(er) U2 stuff
 reason06 wrote:


I think this is U2 everytime
 

It almost fooled me.  I was ready to turn off RP (as I do whenever U2 come on), but then I thought this actually isn't a bad U2 song.  What is it from?  And then I checked the playlist.
Bono and Mundy have GOT to be related. Ireland isn't that big a country.
 
 
They are probably distant cousins. That vocal DNA is pretty strong, though. 
 reason06 wrote:
I think this is U2 everytime
 
{#Doh}

Thanks for playing this to help me "rise above" my tedious work this afternoon!

{#Dancingbanana}
No matter what you hear or don't, it's pretty kicking. Ach laddie, I be shoppin some of this, yeah, mon.
 TheFriendlyCat wrote:
I dunno, maybe i'm deaf, but i'm not hearing a lot of 'celt' to this...
 
Yeah, there's only a bodhran, bones, fiddle and pennywhistle.  Nothing Celtic about that.  {#Rolleyes}

I love this band.

I dunno, maybe i'm deaf, but i'm not hearing a lot of 'celt' to this...
Really quite nice indeed.
Riverdance, that schlock?
Didn't they sing this in The Lion King?
 tony99 wrote:

Nope, someone made me a present of one of their CDs ages ago - I think I played it once.  I really like Celtic music but this just hits all the wrong buttons. Elevator music for the Riverdance generation, this (and the Corrs fit that pattern too)

 

Bullshit.

The amalgam of rock, celtic and middle eastern influences is unique.  Loreena McKennit gets 8 ratings without the rock part of the equation.

And listen to the way the groove emphasizes the off beat (or the "and" note, for the musos).  Let's see the effin Corrs do that.

See these guys live sometime.  That'll wake you up.

And, for my money, this is the best track from a really good album.

9.



philbertr wrote:
Great sequence, Bill! Keep up the great work! Never mind the negativity ("rise above it") most of us love what you are doing!
I don't think Bill's too worried about "the negativity". Everyone has their opinion about art (isn't that the point...to provoke an emotional reaction?) and if he didn't want to know ours these little message boards wouldn't exist.  He probably mines them for ideas and feedback and the occasional humorous bit. It would be horrible for there to be nothing here, or worse...all positive comments.

I give this one a 5 because I don't think it does a very good job of representing the genre but it's a pleasant enough listen and here, "5" is still "decent". What I don't get is how some people react to negative comments as being somehow illicit. If you record and release music into the world you are a professional even if you are an "indy artist" and fair game for artistic criticism. Even the little sucko-barfo dude is valid commentary since it comes from a listener.


 mgkiwi wrote:

I know what you mean so I take it's not worth the investment then!
 
Nope, someone made me a present of one of their CDs ages ago - I think I played it once.  I really like Celtic music but this just hits all the wrong buttons. Elevator music for the Riverdance generation, this (and the Corrs fit that pattern too)

 mgkiwi wrote:

I know what you mean so I take it's not worth the investment then!
 
Actually, its completely worth the investment.

 tony99 wrote:


Very well put, my friend - this kind of 'kitchen sink' approach to any ethnic music is annoying in the extreme ...
 
I know what you mean so I take it's not worth the investment then!
 mgkiwi wrote:
Who are these - U2 meets the Corrs. Quite like them - is the album with the investment?
 

Very well put, my friend - this kind of 'kitchen sink' approach to any ethnic music is annoying in the extreme ...
See them live, they are amazing.
the first three were great, but the Afro-Celts are so fake it's not funny.  And Bono has ben a moumental bore (musically and otherwise) for SO long ....
Who are these - U2 meets the Corrs. Quite like them - is the album with the investment?
AfroCelts-Rise Above It
Azam Ali-In Other Worlds
Cracker-Sidi Ifni
Led Zeppelin-Kashmir

Great sequence, Bill!  Keep up the great work!  Never mind the negativity ("rise above it") most of us love what you are doing!


it does have a U2 quality to it....but with a better beat.
I have a couple older AfroCelt Sound System recordings that are GREAT....this is a bit different.
I still prefer Baka Beyond tho'.
Gawd - the Afro Celts and someone who sounds like Bono.  Frightful ...
 Captain_D0D00 wrote:


Quintessential RP though, whether you like it or not.

WorldRockEclecktic = A Wreck
 
Well, since you obviously don't like the whole premise of what Bill and Becky are doing, why don't you just go somewhere else where you can be happy and spare the rest of us your whiny drivel.  You might want to try something from Clear Channel.

AfroCelts are bothering me these days...
cattail321 wrote:
EVEN THE POPE DISLIKES NAZIS!!!!! BUT HE STILL PRAYS FOR THEM
...so - farmers pray for rain and the pope prays for nazis?.. ...i thought he looked kind of evil...
doctec wrote:
I think this is U2 everytime
Great background music to work to...which is what I do during the day.
MOTORSKILLS.....EVERYBODY'S RACIST...TO SOME DEGREE!! EVEN THE POPE DISLIKES NAZIS!!!!! BUT HE STILL PRAYS FOR THEM
THINK OF IT AS PINK FLOYD WITH RYTHME....LOL...SORT OF!!
whtahtefcuk wrote:
Turn on RP.. Celtic Crap.. Turn off RP
whtahtefcuk/donnyballgame: you guys are tough.
mysteryplane wrote:
The singer for this band is obviously racist.
Huh? III
A bit more mainstream sound than ACSS usually goes for, but I like it. A lot. Now just play "Rise" before this song and it's epic!